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TO' AIJL WHOM IT MAY CONOERN:

Be it known that I, G. HENRY IIULSKAMP, of the city of New lYork, haveinvented new Improvements in Violins, Guitars, etc.; and I do herebydeclare that the following is a full and exact description thereof,reference being had to the annexed drawings which are in small size. Thesame letters refer to like parts in each.

Figure 1 is a horizontal plan of a violin.

Figure 2 is a vertical plan as seen from the right-hand side of theinstrument.

Figure 3 is. also a vertical section as seen from thc right-hand side.

Figure 4 is a transverse vertical section of the hoger-board.

I have heretofore applied the principle of straining the sounding-boardsby screws, to violins, guitars, alto violins, violincellos, bassviolins, ctc., by which the tone and power of these instruments havebeen much improved. I have now applied the same principle to theseinstruments by a different construction and in aless expensive manner.The drawings represent the improvements applied to a violin. Theapplication to the other instruments is substantially in the same way.

a a a @represent aunited finger-board and `strinztyholder, made out ofone or more different pieces of wood or other material, and secured tothe neck and to the end of the instrument at c. In the linger-board isan orifice, O, g. I, through which the bridge 7c passes without touchingthe finger-board. The form of the linger-board at O is represented intransverse vertical section, through the middle at tig. 4, and crepresents the bridge. An oblique brace, eZ d', is rmly secured withboth its ends to theA pieces of wood e e, and to the ends of the uppersounding-board, in the inside of the middle of the instrument. fis ascrew in the string-holder, which extends through an orifice in theupper board into the oblique brace (Z eZ. By tightening this screwfandthe strings of the instrument, the upper sounding-board will bestrained. The oblique brace g g in iig. 2 is firmly secured to theinside of the lower sounding-board. The upper end ofthe oblique brace,tig. 2, at F1, extends up through the orice z'in the upperA board,without touching the same, to the upper surface of the uppersounding-board. One foot ofthe bridge 7c is placed upon this post andthe' other foot upon the surface of the upper sounding-board. Thevibration of the springs is transmitted alike to both the points q g ofthe lower sounding-board7 and by the pressure of thel strings upon this'oblique post the sounding-boards will also be strained. The obliquepost or brace g g, in iig. 3, is also-secured to the lower board in thesame manner as the brace in iig. 2. But its upper partvm is placed undertbe upper sounding-board, near to the other foot of the bridge k. Itwill be seen that the straining of the board in this ligure is in thesame manner produced as in tig. 2. Straining the sounding-boards in thismanner, and transmitting the vibrations of the strings through obliquebraces to different points of the .sounding-boards, the tone andvpowerof the instrument arc much improved, and this system of straining thesounding-boards, with similar oblique braces and a solid inger-board,can also beeasily applied to all instruments of the old construction. Ican dispense with the stringholder entirely by extending thefinger-board to the line p and securing the string u directly on the endof the linger-board atpp p, but in large instruments I prefer the unitedlfinger-board and string-holder, screwed firmly to the end of theinstrumentatie. By placing the feet of the bridge on diiferent posts, oron the upper and lower board of the instrument, the tene of theinstrument can be varied.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters-Patent, is

1. I claim the straining of sounding-boards in violins and otherinstruments before named and referred to, 0f whatever material made, bythe tension and pressure of the strings, substantially as hereinbeforedescribed.-

2. Transmitting the vibration of thestrings by posts or, oblique bracesto different points of the upper and lower sounding-boards, and makingthe feet of the bridge 7c to bear'upon the oblique braces, substantiallyas described. i

3. Making the linger-board and string-holder in one piece, with anorifice O for the bridge 7c, and connecting the same with the obliquebrace cl d, substantially as set forth.

4. Securing the strings directly on the end of thc extended finger-boardatppp, substantially as described.

G. HENRY HULSKAMP.

Witnesses:

H JOHN S. HOLLINGSHAD,

WM. J. Funnn'rr.

